During a meeting with Commission IV of the House of Representatives (DPR) in Jakarta, he said that around 1.5 million out of the 1.7 million tons of old rice stored by Bulog will soon be released for use.
According to the minister, 360 thousand tons of old rice will be distributed as social assistance, while the rest will be allocated to the Food Supply and Price Stabilization (SPHP) program.
“God willing, Bulog’s warehouses will store only new rice by the end of the year,” he assured DPR legislators.
Sulaiman said he is confident that the 1.7 million tons of old rice is fit for consumption, especially since the stocks include rice imported between December 2024 and January this year.
He also emphasized the government’s commitment to carefully manage SPHP rice distribution by avoiding regions where rice is already selling at low prices. This is aimed at preventing disruptions to local markets, he added.
He informed that the rice would instead be directed to regions in Papua.
Regarding lower-quality rice, the minister said that it would be used as livestock feed to prevent rogue business actors from reselling it as high-quality rice.
“I have instructed Bulog not to distribute poor-quality rice to the public,” he stressed, while recalling the circulation of defective rice between 2016 and 2017.
Sulaiman made the statement in response to concerns raised by Commission IV chair Titiek Soeharto.
“It is crucial to immediately decide what to do with old rice stocks, especially those imported over 10 months ago,” she told the minister.
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Translator: Shofi A, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Primayanti
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